Babylon Is Finally Getting a Proper U.S. Release

The trailer for Franco Rosso’s Babylon is certainly designed to titilate. "Rated X in the UK" and "Never released in the US" flash across the screen, immediately raising the question "why?" Babylon, which premiered at Cannes in 1980, was kept from US markets because it was deemed too controversial for its depictions of state-sponsored racism and xenophobia. Surprise, those things haven't gone away in the past 40 years! So, are we ready now?

Co-written by Martin Stellman (Quadrophenia), the movie follows a Black British working class reggae musician, played by Brinsley Forde, the frontman of Aswad, as he navigates his craft in a racist society. Stellman reportedly found inspiration in The Warriors, which itself was based on Anabasis, so expect a story with literally epic stakes. It's no surprise why the film may resonate now--its themes of finding community through art and trying to exist in a society that doesn't want you are unfortunately both timeless and extremely current. Babylon will be released on March 8 at BAM in New York, and across the US later this spring.